The role of drugs in the treatment of alcoholism

Abstract

Many drugs are used in alcoholism treatment with the aim of reducing alcohol consumption and correcting alcohol-related psychosocial problems that lead to excessive drinking or result from it. Alcohol-sensitising drugs are used to reduce alcohol consumption with the expectation that improvement in other problem areas will follow. Drugs that share sedative-hypnotic actions with and cross-dependence to alcohol are often used during acute alcohol withdrawal reactions for symptomatic relief, to prevent major withdrawal symptoms, and to prevent and treat seizures. Alcohol abuse may be a form of self-medication, and treatment of an underlying psychiatric disorder, such as depression (with antidepressants), anxiety (with anxiolytics) or psychosis (with antipsychotics), is expected to reduce alcohol consumption. Pretreatment medical and psychiatric assessment of the patient is necessary to ensure that the drug therapy is appropriate to the patient's therapeutic goals and medical/psychological status. Use of the drug must be systematic and carefully monitored; the duration of treatment is determined individually for each patient on the basis of the response to the treatment as well by the development of adverse clinical effects. Ideally, the drug therapy allows the patient to establish resources necessary for continued abstinence after the drug treatment is stopped.